The Last Love Of Arthur Morgan

Paradise Lost

The next morning, Arthur woke with a start as the sky opened up. The rain instantly leaked through the cracks of the shack, as the thunder rumbled off in the distance.

Arthur wiped his forehead dry and sat up, coughing into the sleeve of his shirt.

Normally this hot, in his own tent, he'd be shirtless. But in this overcrowded shack, they didn't quite have the privacy they needed to be half naked. Arthur missed those days, but like a storm, this too shall pass.

"You're still coughing." Lorna whispered.

"I'm aware."

She reached out and touched his arm."Maybe you should go to see the doctor-"

"No. I can't go in town right now." He cleared his throat."I'd like to come back alive."

Lorna frowned and slowly pulled her hand away, his skin burning to touch. She liked to believe it was the heat and humidity, but, it felt like a different kind of heat - from within; a fever.

She watched tiredly as he slowly pulled on his boots and buttoned up his now dirty white shirt. His hair was long, down to the top of his shoulders. It was more blonde than she remembered.

He stood up and grabbed his hat, bidding a quiet goodbye, before slipping out the door. She rolled back over and grabbed the pocket watch from inside his satchel - it read 6:30.

Arthur stood on the porch, just under the awning, watching the rain swallow the camp whole. He lit a cigarette and took a seat on an overturned bucket. It was peaceful - the rain, but not when it meddled in their daily routine.

He watched Pearson muddle around his area, trying to fix breakfast. It was a lot harder than it looked, especially during a torrential downpour. He laid his head back against the shack and closed his eyes briefly, before he had company.

"Nice day." Javier teased, shaking off the rain.

Arthur scoffed, opening his eyes."If we was in hell, I suppose."

Javier pulled up a bucket and sat next to him."So, Dutch wants to go North - Roanoke Ridge, it's in Annesburg. I heard him talkin' with Micah."

"Nice of him to inform me." Arthur shook his head.

"I wouldn't count on it, seems those days are long gone." He waved his hand."Anyway, I've been up there, it's nice, but they got some real crazy people. Lunatics."

"Well I'm kinda used to bein' around lunatics."

Javier dropped his head, chuckling."No I mean, psycho's. There's this one brood, called I think the Murfree's? They fuckin' eat people."

Arthur raised a brow."Cannibals? Well ain't that dandy."

"Ain't sure why Dutch wants to go there, but I guess where there's more criminals, there's less law."

"Sounds like Dutch Logic." Arthur tossed his cigarette into the mud.

"Anyway, just thought I'd let you know."

Arthur nodded his head."Thank you."

Javier slinked back into the shadows much like the night before, leaving Arthur to his thoughts. He wasn't sure if that was such a good idea these days.

He'd heard about the mining town, Roanoke Ridge. He also heard it was populated with more bad than good. Sure, they were all criminals, but they weren't that bad. Not in the sense that they ate people.

The door to his right cracked open and he opened his eyes again, watching as Lorna poked her head out, before emerging fully. She wore the same dress from the night before, only her hair was down and quite messy.